


Forgettable Birthdays

by MetamorphicRocky



Series: Dadspeed [12]
Category: Final Space (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Avodad, Birthdays, Dadspeed, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY BOY, Little Cato deserves the world and that is a FACT, Team Squad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21894883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MetamorphicRocky/pseuds/MetamorphicRocky
Summary: Birthdays have tended to be a miss for Little Cato, but maybe this year might be different.
Relationships: Avocato & Little Cato (Final Space), Gary Goodspeed & Little Cato
Series: Dadspeed [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1472537
Comments: 5
Kudos: 72





	Forgettable Birthdays

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY ONE AND ONLY SON FEATURING SAD AND GLAD, PLEASE LET HIM HAVE A FUN BIRTHDAY IN CANON OLAN

Birthdays were never a big thing for Little Cato. 

The earliest birthday he can remember was when his dad brought him into work and gave him a little cake. That tradition continued for a few years until his dad began to say that celebrations should only be for victories. A day that happened every year wasn't a special occasion in his books. 

Little Cato didn't mind. He shouldn't have been wasting so much time on childish things anyways. His dad would give him a pat on the head and a special sparring match instead of a cake. It was just as fun...even if one year, Little Cato had to remind his dad what the day was. And he had to start writing it on his father's calendars after that. Little Cato was never mad that his dad couldn't remember; he was a busy general and had more important things to worry about than his son's birthday. 

Then he was captured. Birthdays just became a normal day, except he missed his father even more. He was so alone. Always cold, probably in pain from a beating from a guard for acting up again. His birthdays he spent sulking and wishing his dad could scoop him up into a big hug that he would never let go of. Maybe when his dad rescued him, he could get a cake again with candles and frosting. 

That plan fell apart once his dad died, but especially when he was trapped for sixty years on the other side of a time shard. 

He kept track of the dates for a couple of years. Whenever his birthday rolled around, he would take his picture of Gary and bring it into his room where his dad's hologram was. Little Cato would curl up in his chair and sing happy birthday to himself, staring at the images of two men who he could never get back. He always cried by about the sixth run of the song and simply fall to the ground and sob until he passed out. 

The years went by, and he forgot the dates. He would make meaningless tallies for each day that passed, not caring what they meant. Birthdays were the farthest thing from his mind as he only grew lonelier and lonelier until he learned that he didn't have to be alone anymore.

He was rescued from that, too, eventually. Whatever good memories Little Cato ever had with birthdays didn't matter after everything.

* * *

Little Cato is always on edge, but so is everyone else on the Crimson Light. Final space isn't the best living environment, they've grown to learn. 

Today isn't any different. He yawns and stretches as he wakes up after another rough night, Gary's presence on his side lacking like usual. Gary is always awake before him. 

He needs to fix some wiring in the dining room today. Gary mentioned it to him yesterday, so that's his mission for the moment. 

Little Cato stands from Gary's bed and walks out into the hallway, barely paying attention to where he's heading after knowing the layout of the ship so well. It should be a quick fix, and then he can check up on everything else like he does every day. This'll be an easy day with no surprises.

The Ventrexian yawns again as the doors to the dining room slide open. He takes one step into the room, and then—

"Surprise!"

Little Cato's eyes fly open and alert as he jumps, staring in, well, _surprise_ at the gathering of people in the room. All of them are smiling as best as they can, most of them looking forced except his dads' grins.

"What?" Little Cato says, his eyes darting between what looks like a cake and everyone's faces.

"Happy birthday, Spidercat!" Gary shouts.

"Happy what?"

Gary's smile falls minutely as his other dad steps forward. "You didn't think we would forget your birthday now, would you? After all, it's the big fifteen."

Gary's nose scrunches up in confusion. "No, sixteen is the big one."

"Gary, are you insane?" Avocato laughs incredulously, staring at his co-parent like he has two heads. "It's fifteen, baby."

"Sixteen! That's when you get your license and stuff!" 

The two are glaring at each other now as Avocato shouts, "That's what happens at fifteen!"

Before his two dads can get into a full blown argument, Quinn puts a hand on both of their arms as she smiles thinly at the youngest member of the crew. "Either way, happy birthday, Little Cato."

Little Cato's mouth is wide open as he blinks at everyone blankly. "It's my birthday," he says under his breath.

Gary and Avocato look confused for a moment, but they turn to each other in unison with shared frowns. Gary walks over to his son and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, little buddy. We figured that you probably haven't celebrated your birthday in a while, so we had to do something," his dad says gently, a warm smile slipping onto his face. 

Avocato joins Gary on Little Cato's other side. "Sorry that it isn't much, we can do something bigger when we get out of here."

Little Cato's gaze flicks between his dads and the awaiting cake on the table in guilt. They made him a _cake_ for something as trivial and dumb as a birthday. The thought of his dads using limited rations to bake it for him sits heavily in his stomach. 

"You shouldn't have made a cake for me," Little mumbles. His vision grows blurry the longer he stares at it.

Gary ruffles his hair gently. "Hey, we all decided that you deserved it for your birthday. I think we all need something to celebrate right now."

"If you don't like the cake, blame Gary. But maybe later we can do one of our sparring sessions?" Avocato asks fondly, smiling encouragingly at his son.

"You, me, and Fox can have a sleepover later!" Ash pipes up, her brother nodding with a genuine smile on his face. 

Mooncake squishes himself against Little Cato's face. "Chookity pok pok!"

"Oh! Almost forgot!" Gary says as he starts taking off his jacket. Then, he holds it out to his son. "Didn't have anything nice to wrap it in, but—!"

Little Cato's arms cut off Gary as he pulls both of his dads into a bone crushing hug, burying his face into their chests as his eyes begin to water. It takes a moment for him to feel two strong arms wrap around him in return, and the smile on his face is so wide that it almost hurts. 

"I love you guys," the teen says, his voice cracking in the middle.

"We love you, too, Little Cato," Avocato says, tightening his hold on his son.

Little Cato knows that this happiness will be short-lived, but he doesn't care right now. Birthdays might finally be something worth remembering if there are more like this.


End file.
